 TextbooksSearch Textbooks Finding Your Books Class Registration Theft Prevention Return Policy
|
Faculty
General Information
Book Orders | To Speed Up the Process |
Determining What Textbook to Order WELCOME to your Campus Bookstore The University Book Center offers a wide range of products and services specifically
for your convenience. These include customized course packs, academically priced
software, an extensive selection of general reading titles, access to Books in Print, and
special orders. If you have any questions, please call us at 301-314-BOOK (2665).
BOOK ORDERS: WHY THEY ARE NEEDED MONTHS IN ADVANCE Our goal is to make sure that textbooks are on the shelves on time and in the right quantities. To achieve that goal we undertake a time-consuming research and procurement process. The earlier we have complete information available, the better our chances of meeting our goal. We try to always provide a mix of both new and used textbooks, and upon receiving your request for textbook(s), we contact several sources of supply to find copies of your title(s). We do this for each title you request and for thousands of other requested titles. We contact publishers and distributors to obtain new textbooks and purchase used textbooks from students and used book wholesalers. We provide used books as a service for budget conscious students. The opportunity to sell back used textbooks they do not want to hold for future reference helps them financially, as does access to used texts. This student buyback process requires a great deal of advance preparation by our staff. The new editions of standard texts and new titles that you request are sourced directly from publishers. Since publishers do not keep large inventories, titles can be out of stock — and it may be a while before they are reprinted. An adequate lead time increases the chances that out o stock titles, delivery problems and other delays will not prevent us from having your books on the shelves before classes begin. Advance notice is especially important for foreign books, which frequently take longer to arrive. We are happy to accept your book requests piecemeal. If you are not sure of all the books you will need for a course, submit the titles that you do know. Just note on the request form that more titles may be requested at a later date and send in another list as soon as you have made your decisions. It is very important, however, that you do not include titles that you may not end up using for the course. Also, please let us know if your class size changes or if the department adds section.
If we are not aware that you have moved to a larger classroom or that the registrar
will be admitting more students than initially indicated, we may run out of books and have
to reorder. HOW DO WE DETERMINE WHAT TEXTBOOKS TO ORDER We strive to have, at minimum, enough books for everyone who wants one, before the
first day of classes. To achieve this goal, we carefully review all the information
available to us. This includes the quantity you want, the sales history of both the
book and the course, and pre-enrollment figures. We do not adjust the quantity you
request arbitrarily. Our thorough examination process is used to determine the
number of books that will fulfill the needs of every student who wishes to buy the book.
At the same time, we strive to reduce the number of excess books sent back to the
publishers. Publishers assert that there is a direct relationship between the high
costs of handling excess books (returns) and high priced textbooks. By trying to
have at least enough books for everyone who wants one, without tremendous excess, we hope
to help publishers curb the steep rise in textbook prices. COURSE PACKS: WHY REQUEST ONE IN ADVANCE? AND, WHY THEY TEND TO BE EXPENSIVE... There is more to course packs than meets the eye. In accordance with federal law, copyright permission must be obtained for copyrighted citation included in the course pack. This is a process that demands a lot of legwork. Permissions are held either by publishers or individual authors, and royalties generally must be paid to the rights holder. Often, titles rights are sold from one publisher to another or ownership reverts from a
publisher or a succession of Course pack prices are determined by the cost of publisher royalties plus fees for photocopying and labor costs associated with obtaining copyright permissions. Royalties and labor costs very from pack to pack. While it might seem more expedient to simply copy material without notifying the author (s) or publisher (s), the work, ideas and intellectual property of author (s) and publisher (s) must be respected and permission sought to avoid violating copyright laws. It is essential that you request your course packs at the same time that textbook
information is requested. This leaves us plenty of time to handle any
copyright-related obstacles that arise and helps us to have course packs ready when
students need them. If you will be requiring supplemental materials (outlines, study guides, etc.) They
must appear on your textbook requisition (textbooks adoption) form. They are
due on the same date as your textbook requisitions. In addition to textbooks, the Book Center also provides any additional supplies or
materials needed for class. These supplies would include goggles, lab aprons, locks,
lab notebooks, art supplies, etc. Although there is no formal adoption process for these
items, we encourage faculty to communicate their needs with this department to assure
product is available at the start of class. Most publishers will provide free desk copies to faculty members who are using the textbook for a class. Publishers prefer to deal directly with faculty members in the procurement of desk copies. The Book Center can provide information on ordering desk copies, including phone numbers and addresses for publishers. If you need a copy of the textbook before you receive your desk copy, you can purchase on from the Book Center, save your receipt, and return the desk copy when it arrives. You will have to request an unmarked copy from the publisher because a book stamped complimentary copy can not be resold as new. To make sure that this process goes smoothly, you must have your receipt when you
return the book. In addition, the replacement book must be unmarked and in resalable
condition for a full refund. Approximately eight weeks after the start of each semester, the Book Center returns unsold books. It is necessary that book returns be done at this time because of the return policies of the publishers and used book companies. The number for the Book Center's textbook department is 301-314-7848 and the fax number
is 301-314-7858.
The number for the Book Center's general books department is
301-314-7770 |
